La Diva Chocolate Cake

Just in case you have never made a really divine chocolate cake, or at least not in awhile, I give you La Diva!

She is sweet, deep, and greater than the sum of her parts. She keeps nothing a secret, layering milk, and then dark, chocolate ganache on the outside, in an undeniable, and irresistable, attempt to bring you hither.

A word about grating chocolate. It goes seriously static! It flies everywhere and there is no containing it, I don't care how many tricks you know. The best way I've found is to lay my grater on a very shallow paper towel-lined rimmed plate or tray. The fly-aways go to the paper towel, which you can then fold up and use for pouring. Sheesh, what a mess! But as always, it is worth it. I never lead you astray.La Diva Chocolate Cake (print recipe)
Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup chopped semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup boiling water
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated semisweet chocolate

Milk Chocolate Ganache:
2/3 cup whipping cream
6 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped

Dark Chocolate Ganache:
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 T unsalted butter, cut into bits

Finishing Touches:
Confectioners' sugar
Chocolate curls

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Generously spray a 10-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray and place pan on baking sheet.

2. For cake, in a large bowl, hand-whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. In a medium bowl, place chopped chocolate and butter and cover with boiling water, whisking to blend and melt chocolate. In a mixer bowl, on low speed, blend sugar, eggs, and vanilla very well until light, about 3 minutes. Fold in sour cream and then dry ingredients, melted chocolate, and grated chocolate. Blend well, scraping bowl often to ensure evenly blended batter, about 2 to 4 minutes. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake until cake springs back when lightly pressed with fingertips, about 55 to 65 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes before unmolding. Wrap and freeze 1 hour before garnishing cake.

3. To make milk chocolate ganache, in a small saucepan, bring cream to just simmering. Quickly stir in chopped milk chocolate and continue stirring until it melts, turning off heat as you do so. Mix well and chill until very firm. Then whip in a mixer on high speed to fluff.

4. For dark chocolate ganache, in a small saucepan, bring cream to just simmering. Quickly stir in chopped chocolate and continue stirring until it melts, turning off heat as you do so. Mix well. When it is thick, stir in butter to blend in. Let cool to room temperature. Chill until it can be poured over cake as a thick glaze.

5. To assemble and garnish cake, invert cake onto a serving platter. Spread milk chocolate ganache on top of cake. Chill cake 20 to 30 minutes. Then pour dark chocolate ganache over top of cake. Chill briefly and then garnish with confectioners' sugar, chocolate curls, or a pesticide-free red rose.Recipe from A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman